Interest in Low-Cost Proton SV Off to Brisk Start

Proton signs up 4,000 potential buyers in less than a week after launching its low-cost 1.3L Proton Saga SV, the Malaysian auto maker’s marketing arm says.

Proton Edar CEO Hisham Othman tells a news conference the number far exceeds the auto maker’s initial sales target of 2,000 units a month for the Saga SV (Super Value), whose pricing starts at RM33,888 ($10,620).

“This number is just pre-order,” Hisham is quoted as saying by the Business Times. “It may not necessarily translate into sales, but we are nevertheless very excited by the overwhelming response.”

Proton has negotiated a financing deal with Malayan Banking and the AmBank Group to offer a minimum monthly payment of RM250 ($77.61) for the first year. “We hope this will be the driving factor for most of the pre-orders to translate into sales,” Hisham says.

The initial reaction has Proton preparing to raise its sales target for the new model.

“We will see how many orders we will get in the first month. Then we will set a new sales target,” Hisham says. “The profit margin for the model is small but we anticipate higher sales, which will in turn contribute to higher revenue.”